Glastonbury 2022: Six of the biggest talking points from the Worthy Farm festival
US rapper Kendrick Lamar’s headline set closed an impressive weekend of live music
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The final day at Glastonbury ended with a jaw-dropping performance by American rapper Kendrick Lamar.
Over the course of five days, fans had danced to performances by top artists such as Paul McCartney, Little Simz, Pet Shop Boys, Sam Fender, and Billie Eilish.
On the last day of the festival, George Ezra turned up at the John Peel stage in what was possibly the worst-kept secret set in Glastonbury history, while jazz-fusion legend Herbie Hancock delighted crowds relaxing at the Pyramid stage with a virtuosic performance.
Here’s a look back at six of the biggest talking points from the entire Glastonbury 2022 festival...
Roe v Wade
News of the US Supreme Court’s highly controversial legal ruling broke on Friday, and it was clearly on a lot of people’s minds at Glastonbury. It certainly didn’t escape the attention of the artists, many of whom were American. From Billie Eilish, to Phoebe Bridgers, to Olivia Rodrigo, to Kendrick Lamar, lots of the performers included powerful statements about abortion rights in their sets.
From the youngest ever headliner…
Eilish made history with her Friday night headline slot, delighting fans with an intimate but lively set of songs from the 20-year-old’s two albums. As the festival’s youngest ever solo headliner, the pressure was certainly on Eilish’s shoulders, but as Mark Beaumont’s five-star review attests, she pulled it off with aplomb.
…to the oldest
On the other end of the spectrum, we had Paul McCartney, who delivered an absolute barnstormer of a set on Saturday. Performing a range of hits from his Beatles and Wings repertoires, as well as his solo career (and a couple of covers), Macca delivered a Glastonbury experience for the ages. At 80 years old, he became the festival’s oldest ever headliner.
Kendrick Lamar
Closing the festival on Sunday was Kendrick Lamar, who held the Pyramid Stage in the palm of his hand from the start of his electrifying, career-spanning set to the end. The stunning climax of his set – a rendition of “saviour” performed while blood dripped from his diamond crown of thorns, before he began a furious chant about women’s rights – was pure chills-down-the-spine stuff.
Ukraine
The ongoing war in Ukraine was also a core political issue for many of the festival’s acts and attendees. Ukrainian flags were spotted commonly around the festival site, with McCartney holding one aloft in solidarity as he took the stage for his encore. The Pyramid Stage also played host to Ukrainian band Dakhabrakha on Sunday, one of several Ukrainian artists the festival championed.
A little help from my friends…
While Kendrick’s set may have been all him, many of the festival’s other acts deployed some heavyweight guest stars. McCartney brought Bruce Springsteen and Dave Grohl on stage towards the end. Olivia Rodrigo welcomed Lily Allen for a duet of “F*** You”. Phoebe Bridges joined forces with Arlo Parks (who had her own full set at the festival) for a couple of numbers. Pete Doherty even showed up on stage during Hak Baker’s performance, having performed with the Libertines shortly before. It was a festival chock-full of unexpected – but thoroughly enjoyed – cameos.
Look back at our live blog below:
Paul McCartney held aloft a Ukrainian flag when he took the stage for an encore at his 2022 Glastonbury headline set.
The former Beatle made the gesture in a display of solidarity with the country amid its ongoing war with Russia.
While McCartney held the Ukraine flag, he was also flanked by bandmates holding the Union Flag and an LGBT+ pride flag.
More here:
Paul McCartney waves Ukrainian flag as he comes out for Glastonbury encore
Artist was flanked by bandmates holding the Union Flag and an LGBT+ pride flag
Something to chew on after last night...
The Beatles albums ranked in order of greatness:
The Beatles’ albums ranked in order of greatness
From ‘Please Please Me’ to ‘Let It Be’, Graeme Ross assesses the Fab Four’s 12 studio albums
Social media’s absolutely full of praise for the McCartney set last night.
At 80 years old, the man still knows how to deliver.
Here’s our look at today’s weather in Worthy Farm.
Latest forecast predicts light showers with sunny spells for Glastonbury
The Met Office has indicated a day of sunshine, with some scattered showers, over the course of a breezy Sunday
More on the confusion surrounding BBC iPlayer’s broadcast of Olivia Rodrigo’s set yesterday.
Viewers were left confused after iPlayer omitted a protest song by Rodrigo and Lily Allen from its highlights coverage.
The clip was, however, uploaded to YouTube on the official BBC account.
Glastonbury fans confused as BBC iPlayer omits Olivia Rodrigo’s Roe v Wade moment
Fans watching the set on iPlayer noticed that Rodrigo and Allen’s rendition of ‘F*** You’, aimed at the US Supreme Court, had been left out
Seems like thousands of people have walked away from McCartney’s set last night calling it the best gig they’ve ever seen.
I’m not sure Jess Phillips MP is one of them...
Another nice little pic from Worthy Farm this morning.
Wonder if the rolling hangovers might be starting to take a toll...
Thought this might be useful... a rundown of stage times for the Pyramid today...
Can’t do this for every stage, I’m afraid – there’s too dang many!
That said, if you want to find out more about stage times, you can see our article below.
Or, if you want the full cahuna, visit the Glasto website itself.
Glastonbury 2022 full lineup and set times by day
Festival returns to Worthy Farm with major UK and international artists
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